This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the presently described embodiments. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present embodiments. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
Drilling offshore oil and gas wells traditionally includes the use of surface equipment for the exploitation of subsea petroleum and natural gas deposits. In deep water applications, surface equipment can include floating platforms (e.g., spars, tension leg platforms, extended draft platforms, and semi-submersible platforms) or vessels (e.g., drill ships).
The surface equipment typically supports risers that extend from one or more wellheads or structures on the seabed to the equipment at the sea surface. The risers connect the subsea well with the surface equipment to protect the fluid integrity of the well and to provide a fluid conduit to and from the wellbore. The risers connecting the surface wellhead to the subsea wellhead can be thousands of feet long and extremely heavy.
Drilling operations including surface equipment are generally associated with substantial operating costs. In addition, the offshore environment can be hazardous for personnel working on the surface equipment or below the surface. Weather often impacts operations and requires that work stop until conditions improve, resulting in time delays and additional costs. The time required to recover defective equipment from the well to the rig and to be returned to the well can amount to days for the transit periods alone. In view of these issues, an alternative approach to deepwater subsea drilling would be beneficial.
The illustrated figures are only exemplary and are not intended to assert or imply any limitation with regard to the environment, architecture, design, or process in which different embodiments may be implemented.